mates



(No Model.)

r W. P. MA'YES.

BOTTLE CLOSURE.

,518. Patented Dec. 22,1896.

Will/II FIG. 2.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

\VILTON I. MAYES, OF TERRE IIAUTE, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPH W. LAUER, OF SAME PLACE.

BOTTLE-CLOSURE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 573,518, dated December 22, 1896.

Application filed March 3 0, 1 8 9 6 To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, \VILTON P. MAYES, a citizen of the United States, residing at Terre Haute, in the county of Vigo and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Closures; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to closures for hottles; and it consists in the novel construction and combination of the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical section through the neck of a bottle and its cap. Fig. 2 is a front view of a portion of the retaining-spring when spread out.

A is the neck of a bottle, provided with an external shoulder a. The outside I) of the mouth of the bottle is preferably conical above the said shoulder. v

The mouth of the bottle is stopped in any approved manner, as, for instance, by a cork B.

Ois a cap of glass or otherfragile material, which fits over the mouth of the bottle. This cap is provided with an internal circumferential recess 0, leaving the glass behind it at a very thin. The lower part E of the cap is flared internally, so that it fits around the neck of the bottle.

D is a spring-plate provided with prongs d on its upper and lower edges. This plate is bent to cylindrical form, and its prongs are inclined alternately in opposite directions. This cylindrical spring-plate is sprung into the recess 0. The cap is then slipped downward over the mouth of the bottle. The conical part 1) permits the spring to pass over the shoulder, and the length of the cap is so arranged that just before the lower edge of the cap strikes the neck of the bottle the upper Serial No. 585,446. (No model.)

edge of the spring-plate comes below the shoulder a. The spring-plate expands and its inwardly-inclined prongs engage with the shoulder a.

The cap cannot be removed, and when the bottle is to be opened the cap is broken. This is easily accomplished by striking it a sharp blow transversely on the part c.

The presence of the unbroken cap is evidence that the bottle has not been refilled with an inferior liquid and that its contents have not been diluted or otherwise tampered with.

hat I claim is- 1. The combination,with abottle-neck having an external shoulder at its upper part, and a cap provided with an internal annular recess and an internally-flared lower portion fitting around the said bottle-neck; of a lookingspring having a substantially circular middle portion and prongs projecting from the upper and lower ends thereof, certain of the said upper and lower prongs being inclined inwardly and bearing against the said shoulder and against the neck of the bottle respectively, and the remaining prongs engaging with the said recess, substantially as set forth. 7o

2. The combination,with a bottle-neck having an external shoulder at its upper part, of a cap having an internal shoulder at its lower part and a fiarin g portion E fitting around the said bottle-neck below the said internal shoul- 7'5 der, and a locking-spring arranged between the two said shoulders, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IVILTON I. MAYES. Witnesses:

HERMAN HUSTER, LULA STUCKWISH. 

